Soccer Season

I absolutely love everything about soccer as the sport for our boys--the running, the fresh air, the teamwork. And this season, we have a new soccer fan in the house. She's not yet on a team, but boy she loves to run and play on the field, nevermind the AFO leg brace and cast she's sporting for her broken toe. Nothing stops little sis.

But the big surprise of the season? A mere six months ago, I posted about Joey and his deep, dark fear of playing soccer. Our son was terrified...probably fearful of failure, perhaps scared of something new altogether. And everything was an issue for him from the practice, to the uniform, and especially the shoes. I expected much of the same this season, but this kid? He proved me wrong. When I handed him Charlie's cleats from last year, Joey didn't flinch. He didn't complain or whine once, and he simply put them on with a smile. I chuckled at the lack of resistance that I'd met with. I never heard one single gripe about practice or the games and he never questioned who else (besides Charlie) was on his team. It was amazing, and it just goes to show how much children grow developmentally inside of six months. His confidence level has improved so much! And we are so excited for him.

Then there's Charlie, our dreamy little Charlie. His smile continues to be a mile wide as he runs and plays this season, without a care in the world. We're not convinced that soccer's his "forever sport" but it sure is fun to watch him out on that field. It's fun to watch both of them, actually!